Help!!Sick Cherry Tree

This message was edited Jul 22, 2006 3:35 PM

I am simply heartsick and have no idea where to turn for information.I have a 4 year old Montmorency cherry tree that was simply beautiful and loaded to the ground with cherries.A few weeks ago after all the cherries were picked the leaves seemed to turn yellow overnight and as of now most have turned brown but are still hanging on the tree.Could anyone please give me some ideas as to what has happended to it and what I can do to try and save it?Any help would be greatly appreciated!!Thanks In Advance! Nancy

I don't have a specific answer, but it's either a systemic infection or environmental (e.g., herbicide, drought), and I'm guessing your tree is toast.

Guy S.

Cherry trees get a fungus... that turns the leaves yellow, but they are also marked with brown spots. It is a cycle from the soil to the leaves. Could this be it?

I am leaning towards some type of fungal disease also.I noticed the grass had yellowed beneath the tree before all this started.I have a set up an appointment with a tree doctor to come take a look and diagnose this.(Thanks claypa for the dmail suggestion) I still have another cherry tree about 50 feet from this one and it is still beautiful looking.Hope it isn't contagious.Hopefully my sick baby can still be nursed back to health.Why does it always have to be the favorite plants that get things wrong?Very disgusting indeed.Thanks you all for your help!!!

This message was edited Jul 24, 2006 12:09 PM

Guy S, Could it be possible that it perhaps was watered too much?It is really close to the birdbath and pond and with all the hot weather we are constantly filling the bath and we always left the hose lay near the tree while we walked back to the house to shut the water off so the ground was always wet by the tree.Could over watering have caused this?

What about when you turn it back on? The water sitting in a water hose in the sun can get hot enough to burn my hand so I would think it should get hot enough to scorch roots.

I think something chemical is going on to affect such an established tree and the sod underneath. Lightening strike.

Thanks for your replies.The hose always lays there when we turn it on.I never thought about how hot that water gets and I am sure with it there it gets way too much hot water.We did have some pretty severe storms with lightning awhile back but if the tree took a strike wouldn't it be broken somewhere? Also could miracle grow fertilizer do something like this?We fertilized the garden and I remember sprinkling the rest under the tree.I sure hope we didn't cause it to do this.

I have examined many a cow struck by lightening a distance from a tree. Often the route of grounding is via a water way or other more highly conductive material and those caught in the path suffer. I don't know your setting but just to consider. Is there a water line to a pump or city water underneath?

As a mater of fact our water line runs about 4 to 6 foot to the side of the trunk to the east.Is that close enough to cause this?We also have a metal pole with birdfeeders about 6 foot to the south and a 15 foot aluminum pole with our purple martin house on it bordering the garden about 10 to 15 foot away.My goodness could lightning have actually done this?

Is there any discernable difference in the sod under that area? It will follow the point of least resistance. IE metal.

The area of lawn just outside the garden under the pole going towards that tree is like a path of brown all dried up.I just assumed since it has been so dry here that is why it is that way.But after inspecting the rest of the lawn looks fine.Just that and then right to the east of the cherry tree there is a perfect 6 to 8 inch circle that is black and brown looking.Just a circle tho it doesn't travel anywhere I can see.

If I were writing up an insurance claim for dead cattle I would claim lightening strike as cause of death. Interesting. The circle could be a strike location that wend down and hit the water line a distance away to ground to earth. Possible.

Thank you so much.After this discussion with you I am positive that is what must have happened.It makes perfest sense.For it to suddenly turn from lush and green to like this all in a matter of a few days with absolutely no sign of prior disease (It was loaded to the ground with cherries this year) and the coincidence of severe storms around the same time this happened.I feel like I just talked to Sherlock Holmes.Quite the detective.Thanks soooo much.The tree dr will be here tomorrow and I will let him know your ideas.I am anxious to see what he says.I believe you have solved this mystery Sherlock.Thank You! I suppose it is safe to say if lightning did this the tree is dead and will not magically snap out of it? Can I replant in the same spot?

As a veterinarian I am daily asked to be Sherlock in diagnosing a problem with a pet that can't tell me anything and an owner who has no idea what has gone on. It is part of my job. Lightening never strikes in the same spot. I would plant there again. Maybe a lightening rod or lightening attractor in a near by location. Only if you are on a hill with no trees around.

I certainly do appreciate the time you have given in helping me.I will post the results from the tree doc as soon as they come look at it although I feel with all the information I was given here I could just as well save the money I was going to spend on a tree dr and just go ahead and purchase a replacement tree.I think I will go ahead and let him come look at it though just so I can brag about the knowledge I found here.Thanks again!!

Hey Soferdig..Diagnosis,Lightning damage!! I'll be darned.The tree dr was very impressed indeed.I even had to give him the name of this website.He was shocked(no pun intended) that you hit the nail on the head without even seeing the tree in person.Says if you are ever looking for a career change.... : ) WOW Thats all I can say! Thanks! Cedar

Well I got lucky. It just didn't fit into a disease because of the species cross over. Did you tell him first or did he/she diagnosis it first?

I told him first on the phone.I think he thought I flipped my noodle but after he saw it with his own two eyes he couldn't believe it.Everything you said matched up.He will certainly be talking about this one at his morning coffee for a long time! He did say to leave it overwinter and we might get lucky and it will come back in the spring??It looks pretty toasted to me so I don't know whether to wait or not.

I would plant another tree. I never wait to make the garden happy. I think that the tree is toast and why waste a long winter of root growth by planting in the fall. And best is a summer to hunt for the perfect tree. Life is too short, just ask the cherry.

I've seen Jap. maples bite the dust that quick, but with cherry, it's not often to see that.

It could be fungus.

But if you told me nothing, and I was looking at the tree, my first reaction would be to question herbicide use and look at the ground to see if weeds were dying or if no weeds were present.

A weed spray can volatize and do that kind of damage, or penetrate soil.

What's the weed control history? Some or none?

Beautifully put Soferdig.I will go hunting for a replacement this weekend and get her in the ground.I am still heartsick about it but your last line really made me laugh a bit. Thanks!!

mdvaden,No weed control other than hand pulling weeds.We have never use any herbicide in the back yard.That is where the fruit trees are and we never wanted to risk any getting near them.The back is surrounded by evergreens so any the neighbors might use can't drift over to our side.My garden is about 15 foot away and we also don't use herbicides near that.Oddly enough the weeds that were growing under it are still there and healthy looking.Lightning really took its toll.We will be replacing it this weekend.Hopefully the next one will have a long happy life.

This message was edited Jul 27, 2006 10:28 PM

This is interesting. We have been trying to diagnose the problems with two beautiful Montmorency cherry trees that also were loaded to the max this year. A few weeks after we picked cherries the leaves started to turn yellow and brown and fall off the trees. They look kind of "chewed up". We also had a lightening strike that took out our phones and burned up some wiring in the house. These trees are about 10 feet from the power pole and about 25 feet from the phone box. Now I am wondering if they also got hit! ?? Does anyone have any other suggestions for what might be wrong with them? They get plenty of water and I don't think overwatering is possible because our soil is so sandy you really can't "overwater".